Keepsake that Educates!

Twinkle twinkle little star. Are you familiar with that nursery rhyme? Stars are wonderful heavenly bodies that lead sailors on the right route while they lead children and other onlookers to a peaceful rest. One such star that brings joy and warmth to people’s hearts is Pudgemuffin. For centuries, one little star lit the
skies with his glorious brilliant light. It brought an unexplainable sense of warmth and joy to every person who saw him, and it brought him happiness. A time came, however, when that little star desired to be with all the people to whom he was bringing joy. His yearning grew, and so he reached out to the world.

My Review: Interesting book about the little star who couldn’t wait to leave the sky and spend time with the people on earth that he has brought warmth and joy to. Little Star is a story to share with the little ones in your life, the ones who need to know that even though they are small, they too can bring warmth and joy to people.

In My Mailbox was started in November of 2008 by The Story Siren. This is a great way to feature Author’s books even though it might not be in the form of a review. In My Mailbox is a great way for bloggers to socialize and network their blogs, it’s also a great way for bloggers to share upcoming releases!

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you’ve bought or books that you’ve gotten at the library.

Come sing, dance and play with three rambunctious little rabbits in their happy little briar patch, because…. “that’s where rabbits love to play!” They have peculiar names and play peculiar games and always, always together. You’ll have a great time singing along to their own special song and you’ll learn how powerful one little song can be when something scary, something no rabbit had ever seen before, comes right into their precious little briar patch. Play along with the guitar to the music in the book or email the author at Stephencormey@comcast.net to get your very own copy of the CD and DVD. So hop along and have some fun with The Brothers Foot.

My Review: This is about the relationship of three brothers playing, dancing, singing and hopping together. The rhyming song was so catchy that the three hunters carrying guns joined in the dance and song. It shows how siblings can work together. The texts are bold which makes it easy for children to read over again and this book comes with a CD and DVD. Children that love rabbits as pets will enjoy reading this book.

Free Giveaway

We are giving away 1 signed Book with CD & DVD to 1 lucky winner.

Giveaway Ends June 5th @ 12 noon

Comments like these below would be deleted

Great contest, Please enter me, love to win this!, This is so cute

So leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

Mandatory: You must be aSubscriber to Mymcbooks Blog by clicking on Email Subscription. Leave your comments and email
address in the comment field below.

Biography
A third generation Coloradan, Steve Cormey has entertained the people of Grand County and Colorado for over thirty years. An award winning songwriter, he has written, produced and released six very successful CDs while playing an always full schedule of live performances. His background in Folk, bluegrass, rock and traditional music is evident whether live or on CD. Colorado Blue, Somewhere with a Beach, Never Summer. forever home, Walking Stick and the all
solo-acoustic Pure & Simple CDs offer a potpourri of musical styles, and his Old Fashioned Christmas is a Yule Tide favorite. Steve’s live performances
show off a talented mix of danceable music, humor and fun! Steve makes his home in Grand County, Colorado. Although he has entertained in Australia, South Africa, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and around the country, you can usually catch his act in the shadows of theNeverSummerMountains ofColorado.

Illustrator

Ronda Eden was born in Adelaide, South Australia and spent her childhood dreaming about horses. She’s spent most of her adult life wandering around in a state of confusion over what she really wanted to do and now, middle-aged, she’s living her childhood dream. Ronda’s been a factory worker, Chinese cook’s assistant, pharmacy assistant, teacher, storyteller, writer, waitress, bartender, dishwasher, cleaner, touring art curator, gallery owner, horse trainer and artist A.O.T. (Among Other Things).

Ronda’s hobbies include the joy of hiking, climbing, wind surfing, belly dancing, jogging, traveling, swimming, daydreaming, listening to music and of course,
horse riding. Apart from the later, none of these activities get much of her attention these days. Especially travel! Ronda loves it right where she is, doing exactly what she is doing. Ya’see, Ronda lives in Laramie, Wyoming with her husband Mernie and together they run a horse boarding operation with 60 horses, 2 mules, a miniature donkey and a tough, bad boy tomcat. Ronda still manages to be an artist A.O.T (Among Other Things) in between feeding, riding and shoveling poop, but the horses come first. She does travel during the summers, but a couple of the horses go with her and together they cover hundreds of miles on the endurance trails of the Mountain Region. Ronda plans to be hoisting her creaky ole body onto a horse and riding high well into her old age! Happy Trails to you, Ronda Eden aka Ronnie Roo.

Steve Cormey’sWOI Interview

What inspired you to write? I have always loved music and songs. Lyrics that tell a story and then put to music have always been what I have tried to
achieve and into my writing. Some songs without music can still be a poem or a story. Those are my favorites.

Do you consider yourself a born writer? No. I have always liked to read books and when I first started writing songs the music came easily and the lyrics were difficult. Later on, it became the opposite and the words and stories came before the music. Of course, the best songs come when the two visit you at the
same time.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Yes. I used to worry about it but now I know that someday when I least expect it… thoughts will start flowing again. There might be writers out there that are under some kind of deadline. I am lucky in that I can take a walk into the mountains and leave it all behind. Of course, I always have a pen and notebook to jot something down if the mood strikes me.

Have you had any training to become a writer? No. ( just the school of ‘Hard Knocks).

What type of books do you mostly write? I’ve written many songs but only the one children’s book and a sequel to that so far. I do have an outline for a history of my 40 years on my home planet of Grand Lake (as I recall the years I‘ve spent here) or maybe you might just call it… my memoirs.

What is the most difficult part of writing? I suppose that would be finding the inspiration. As I stated before, I am mostly a songwriter and I love to write about the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been.

What well known writers do you admire most? Pat Conroy, Faulkner, Hemingway and Jimmy Buffett

What voice do you find most to your liking? The little voice in my head that comes to me in my dreams and hopefully speaks English.

What is your creative process like, what happens before sitting down to write? I never know. Today, it’s a Vegemite sandwich and a glass of wine.

Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand? Most of the time, I write my thoughts down on paper ( a notebook, scrap paper but mostly bar napkins). Then I go to the computer and try and make some sense of it all. After that, I print it out, read it and hope I don’t have too many ’spell check’ errors. If it works, I save it to look at the next day and decide to keep it or not. If it doesn’t, I forget about it and go to the bar! (remember… Hemingway, Faulkner, Buffett and don’t forget Keith Richards).

Book Description

Come sing, dance and play with three rambunctious little rabbits in their happy little briar patch, because…. “that’s where rabbits love to play!” They have peculiar names and play peculiar games and always, always together. You’ll have a great time singing along to their own special song and you’ll learn how powerful one little song can be when something scary, something no rabbit had ever seen before, comes right into their precious little briar patch. Play along with the guitar to the music in the book or email the author at Stephencormey@comcast.net to get your very own copy of the CD and DVD. So hop along and have some fun with The Brothers Foot.

My Review: This is about the relationship of three brothers playing, dancing, singing and hopping together. The rhyming song was so catchy that the three hunters carrying guns joined in the dance and song. It shows how siblings can work together. The texts are bold which makes it easy for children to read over again and this book comes with a CD and DVD. Children that love rabbits as pets will enjoy reading this book.

An endearing tale based on a true story drawn from the writer’s childhood. Similar to an experience Lisa shared as a youngster with her brother David, Milo and his friends find an old, discarded green wagon and decide to fix it up and use it to collect food and clothing for those who need them. Lisa’s heartwarming story teaches childrenabout generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect for all people, no matter what their stature in life. As you read through Milo’s journey with your child, he or she will learn what it means to donate and will realize the good that comes from a mission such as Milo’s, a mission he calls: ACT – Action Changes Things. Umina’s clever words and expressions will entice you right up until the very end when Milo and
his friends’ compassion is rewarded with a surprise visitor at Sunday service; a visitor that makes all of their acts of kindness well worth the effort.

Free Giveaway

We are giving away 1 copy to 1 lucky winner.

Giveaway Ends 31st May @ 12 noon

Comments like these below would be deleted

Great contest, Please enter me, love to win this!, This is so cute

So leaving a helpful comment relating to this book would be appreciated and valid to the giveaway.

Mandatory: You must be aSubscriber to Mymcbooks Blog by clicking on Email Subscription. Leave your comments and email
address in the comment field below.

Lisa Umina, owner of Halo Publishing International, not only publishes books but also enjoys a successful career as an award-winning author, motivational speaker and literary consultant. Umina´s publishing company continues to flourish by strengthening the movement of words across the international borders in order to benefit cultures and society as a whole. She has been interviewed by countless newspapers, radio and and television shows and has traveled the world to teach children about their purpose and important life lessons inside her books.

Author Lisa Umina’s cute and cuddly character, Milo, has accompanied her around the globe as she has shared her mission through humor, live entertainment and faith. The Milo book series gives children a compelling message that children can talk to God anytime, anywhere…about anything.

Lisa Umina’s WOI Interview

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Mymcbooks Blog.

What inspired you to write? What inspires me to write is my faith and sense of humor.

Do you consider yourself a born writer? Yes, I am a born writer.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If yes, how did you ‘cure’ it? I suffered with writers block with my latest book, Milo and the Green Wagon. I couldn’t think of an ending. I used discipline and shut myself off to the world and sat in a room and just scribbled for an hour different ways to end it and it payed off, the book had an ending after three hours.

Have you had any training to become a writer? I didn’t have any training to become a writer, but I did find a great editor.

What type of books do you mostly write? I write book for my Milo series. My book teach children to talk to God and life lessons.

Do your children inspire any of books, characters, or plots? NA

Can you share with us a little about your current book? Award-Winning, Milo and the Green Wagon was based on a true story. When I was younger, my brother and I garbage picked an old wagon and went around the neighborhood collecting food for the people in need. Milo and his friends find an old, discarded green wagonand decide to fix it up and use it to collect food and clothing for those who need them. This story is about generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect.

What type of book promotion works for you? Any special strategies you’d like to share? I have a successful strategy, school shows. I currently have two school programs. The first is a K- 8th grade program that teaches children they have a purpose. Based on my book Milo and the Green Wagon, Milo and I teach children about generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect for all people, no matter what their stature in life. The second is a K- 4th
Grade program called Talk to God, Anytime, Anywhere about Anything. I use 11 different character voices to represent all the characters in my Milo Finds His
Best Friend book, along with sound effects. They are both fun programs and seem to really draw the children in to the underlying lesson I am trying to teach.

What is the most difficult part of writing? The most difficult part of writing is finding time to write.

Do you find it hard to balance your personal writing time with your other job(s)? It sometimes is difficult to balance my personal writing and my other important job which is helping writers to become authors through my publishing company. I sometimes find that I am focusing more on their dream and not paying enough attention to my own.

Do you have any other works in progress?Can you share a little about them? Liverpooldepartment stores in Mexicois now carrying the Miloseries and puzzles and they are interested in more books to the Miloseries. I am currently writing my 5th book for the stores.

Tell us about your writing space? My writing space is anywhere a great idea comes to mind. I really don’t have a designated area. The world of children’s book publishing is extremely competitive, with many authors hesitating between trying their luck with a traditional publisher or self publishing.

What advice would you offer writers who are oscillating between these two publishing venues? I self published my own books and I love keeping the control, the rights, ideas, illustrations in my hands. The traditional publisher wasn’t the best way to go with my books.

Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand? I always write my story by hand in a journal. I start with an outline and add to it each day.

How do you see the future of book publishing, both traditional, electronic, and print on demand? I see the future of book publishing both electronically and print. I have a hard time accepting that one day the intimate time parents spend with their children reading books to them at bedtime will be using a iPad or Nook. However, it is so much easier to purchase a book online and reading it in a matter of minutes.

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? I procrastinate so sitting down to write takes a lot of discipline and feels like homework so I tend to carry a journal around or my Blackberry.

What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? I use third person voice in my books.

What well known writers do you admire most? My favorite writers, Mitch Albom, William Young and Nicholas Sparks to name a few.

Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? I recently won an award, Christian Small Publisher Award forMilo and the Green Wagon.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? I am very organized and have lists. A lot of to-do lists. My favorite part about my lists is checking off each task, however more appear?

What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? I surround myself with
positive books. I love to read quotes and apply them to my conversations and writings. I tried to read before I dive into work to center myself in a positive way.

I thank you for taking the time to share with me and my readers about being an author.

Book Description

An endearing tale based on a true story drawn from the writer’s childhood. Similar to an experience Lisa shared as a youngster with her brother David, Milo and his friends find an old, discarded green wagon and decide to fix it up and use it to collect food and clothing for those who need them. Lisa’s heartwarming story teaches childrenabout generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect for all people, no matter what their stature in life. As you read through Milo’s journey with your child, he or she will learn what it means to donate and will realize the good that comes from a mission such as Milo’s, a mission he calls: ACT – Action Changes Things. Umina’s clever words and expressions will entice you right up until the very end when Milo and
his friends’ compassion is rewarded with a surprise visitor at Sunday service; a visitor that makes all of their acts of kindness well worth the effort.

My Review: This is a great book about giving. Letting children know that there are people who are less fortunate than others. Teaching them about giving, sharing and being selfless is important and that they can reach out to people in need can make a difference in their lives. “It is in the little things you do that miracle are created, when we do for the least of our brothers, we do for God” Matt 25:40.

What a great illustration by Chad Thompson who brought the book to life. I highly recommend this book.

You can learn more about Lisa Umina during their World of Ink Virtual Tour. Follow as they share articles on writing, read book reviews, interviews and much more.

With the ocean her home, an ochre sea star hunts for her morning meal. She folds over her rays and grips the rocky shore with sticky feet as she feasts on shellfish. When she takes too long, the tide flows back without her and Sea Star becomes easy prey. But she is built to survive and eventually makes her way back to the sea, although with one less ray than before. This inspiring story informs young children about the important role of a small but fascinating sea creature.

My Review: The ochre sea star is a common starfish of the Pacific coast. After falling victim to a seagull’s attack, Sea Star was able to regenerate to hunt again. Janet Halfmann goes on to explain how sea stars feedsmainly on mussels. but will also feed on barnacles, snails, limpets, and chitons when mussels are absent. They eat by extending their stomach into their prey. When falling prey to other sea animal she is able to do a circus acrobat and somersaults away. A bright and wonderful color illustration by Joan Paley and a 5 star rating for Star of the Sea. I highly recommend this book for classroom teaching.

In My Mailbox was started in November of 2008 by The Story Siren. This is a great way to feature Author’s books even though it might not be in the form of a review. In My Mailbox is a great way for bloggers to socialize and network their blogs, it’s also a great way for bloggers to share upcoming releases!

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you’ve bought or books that you’ve gotten at the library.

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About

My name is Ella Johnson. I started Mymcbooks to promote reading. As a former teacher, I know that making basic education fundamentals interesting to children can be challenging. Education can be fun, exciting and captivating for children with the right learning tools. So my goal is to “make learning interesting and fun” for the children while they learn, by introducing them to fun books with colorful and captivating illustrations.

In 2009, I start the giveaway program giving away free school supplies at random to 2 winners each year. I also started a monthly free giveaways for books and gifts.

August 2010, I extended the free school supplies from 2 to 5 winners at random on my blog and also give away 20 bags full of school supplies to familes in need at Chick-fil-A in Brandon, Florida during their family nights. And in 2012, I beat my that number and gave away a lot of school supplies to needy families. Hopefully, I can continue to do this each year.

In 2011, I started writing reviews on children’s books then giving these books away free on Mymcbooks Blog. I increase the number of books we giveaway free to help support parent. My goal is to give away as many as I can each year. This is also a great way to introduce parents to new books.